Singapore is now crazy about Korean dramas.
What is the status of Korean content in Singapore? We went out to the streets and met locals and overseas Koreans to hear their stories. First of all, when asked how popular Korean dramas & films are in Singapore, a 17-year-old local living in Singapore explained, “I fell in love with Gong Yoo after watching the movie ‘Train to Busan’. That’s how I started, and I enjoy listening to group IVE‘s songs recently. Korean content is steadily becoming popular among teenagers.“
Lee Young Ae (48 years old), an overseas Korean who has immigrated to Singapore for 13 years, said, “As Netflix recently entered Singapore, all of the top dramas are Korean works. Locals understand Korean. Not only the younger generation, but all age groups are watching Korean dramas. On the subway, 99% of people are watching Korean dramas on global OTT platforms such as Netflix. They especially enjoy watching the drama ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’. Starting with the popularity of Park Bo Gum and Song Hye Kyo in the drama ‘Encounter’, there are no people who don’t watch Korean dramas now.“
Attention was drawn not only to “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” but also to the leading actress Park Eun Bin. Accordingly, Park Eun Bin held a fan meeting in Singapore on Nov 11th and received attention from local media. Dozens of Singaporean media outlets mentioned the popularity of “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” along with Park Eun Bin’s previous works such as “Hot Stove League”, “Do You Like Brahms?” and “The King’s Affection”.
The starting point of K-content’s popularity in Singapore is “Running Man”. K-entertainment opened with “Running Man” as the main axis, and idols such as BTS and BLACKPINK attracted attention. Afterwards, starting with the launch of Netflix Singapore in 2016, people began to encounter Korean dramas. The craze for Korean content has led to a positive perception towards Koreans. Interest in Korea was greatly amplified.
“Squid Game” is still popular in Singapore. It is rumored that curiosity towards Jung Ho Yeon is quite high. Because of the high interest in Korean actors, it is a phenomenon in which people study Korean actors’ styling on their own and follow trends.
Source: Hankook Ilbo
